According to data collected by the Entertainment Software Association of Canada (ESAC), Canada's video game industry is growing at a moderate rate even as the sector continues to grow and evolve. According to the research, Canada currently has 329 video game studios that generated over $2.3 billion in GDP for the Canadian economy in 2012. The video game industry employed 16,500 men and women in 2012, up five percent from employment numbers in 2011. The data also shows that the industry provides employment for approximately 27,000 people across the "Canadian economy," providing high-paying jobs in "creative / artistic disciplines, technical fields and business / administrative functions."

The video game industry in Canada seems to have a positive outlook on the future too. Four out of 10 of those companies surveyed expect to grow by over 25 percent in the next 24 months, while 17 percent expect to grow by 15-24 percent.

"Although there have been studio closures and shifts in the types of games produced here, there is an optimism about the future of the industry in Canada," said Hilchie.

Over 84 percent of Canadian video game studios say that they are working on games for mobile devices (phones and tablets), while just over 48 percent of studios are devoting at least some of their resources to console games. Sixty-six percent of studios in Canada are working on PC games, 46 percent are working on Web games, and 29 percent are developing titles for social network platforms.

The research also shows that big budget titles are still using the lion's share of resources in the industry: companies report that the average budget for console games is $8.7 million, produced by an average team of 65 persons in 583 days, as compared to an average budget of $300,000 for mobile games, a team of 7 persons and 156 days of production.

The research (conducted by Nordicity for ESAC) was revealed by Jayson Hilchie, President & CEO of the Entertainment Software Association of Canada in a keynote address at the Ottawa International Game Conference (OIGC) today. The full report will be released later this summer.